Oculus Rift gaming headset receives mass production funding

Oculus VR has confirmed it has secured a further $75 million in funding which will allow it to bring its 3D virtual reality gaming headset, the Oculus Rift to the masses.

With Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz having helped secure the latest round of investment, the $75 million (£460m) of funding will enable Oculus VR to put the Oculus Rift headset into mass, consumer production.

“Over the past 16 months, we’ve grown from a start-up to a company whose virtual reality headset is poised to change the way we play, work and communicate,” Oculus VR CEO Brenda Iribe said in making the announcement.

“40,000 developers and enthusiasts, as well as a number of great partners, have joined our cause and helped us bring the seemingly impossible to life.”

She added: “This additional infusion of capital, as well as the leadership and experience of Marc Andreessen, will help us take the final steps toward our ultimate goal: making virtual reality something consumers everywhere can enjoy.”

Having previously raised $16 million in its initial round of funding, the Oculus Rift headset features dual LED displays to bring low-latency images across a wide field of view to create a more immersive gaming experience.

Although having now secured enough capital to bring the Oculus Rift headset to the wider audience, there is currently no official word on when a consumer release of the virtual reality device might be held.

John Carmack, CTO of Oculus VR stated: “The games industry is well past the point where more pixels, texels, flops, and frames displayed on the same fixed screens are really changing the experiences that players get.

“I could say the same about other digital experiences as well. What will revolutionize gaming, and interactive content in general, is putting people inside the digital world. That is our goal at Oculus, and this Series B will help us get there.”